Campaigning for Students

Friday, September 5, 2008

A successful businessman, Jay Gill has been active in the community as a leader and a volunteer investing in the lives of University of West Georgia students. As chairperson of the 2008 A DAY for West Georgia campaign, he is once again demonstrating his support for the university.

This year's theme, “Fulfilling the Vision,” commemorates 26 years of community support for UWG. Gill said he is optimistic that this year's event will be the most productive and successful A DAY so far.

“Last year, we raised just over $600,000 within the campaign,” said Gill. “This year should be a bit more challenging with the economy being what it is. But, so far we have had a rallying response from patrons of the university and have actually experienced a bit more success in the early stages than last year.”

Gill, president of the River City Bank of West Georgia and a longtime Carrollton resident, has strong ties with the university. He has been an A DAY volunteer for years and became co-chair of the A DAY campaign in 2007 with former A DAY chair, Cindy Denney.

Throughout his commitment to the fundraiser, he gained experience with advanced solicitation and campaign administration.

The A DAY campaign continues to be an integral component of the university's Annual Fund, which supports student scholarships, faculty and staff development and undergraduate research.

As chair, Gill's responsibilities will include overseeing the campaign's progress and participating in speaking engagements. Gill is a strong advocate of fundraising for UWG.

“I believe that a great community hinges on four pillars,” said Gill. “A chamber of commerce, its health system, primary school systems and higher education systems. If all of those elements are strong, then the quality of life in our communities is strong. The long and short of it is, that the university makes our West Georgia region a better place to live and work.”

Gill will work with A DAY co-chair Leonard Woolsey, longtime UWG supporter and publisher of the Times-Georgian, until A DAY, Oct. 16, which is traditionally held on the third Thursday in October.

The FNBG Run is scheduled on Thursday, Oct. 2, with a pre-registration form available online through Sept. 30 at www.westga.edu/~alumni.